Essential Properties(EPRT) - 2025 Q3 - Earnings Call Transcript

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - In Q3 2025, the company reported an AFFO per share of $0.48, representing a 12% increase compared to Q3 2024 [13] - Total AFFO for the quarter was $96.2 million, up 24% from the same period in 2024 [13] - The company increased its 2025 AFFO per share guidance to a range of $1.87 to $1.89 and established initial 2026 guidance of $1.98 to $2.04, implying a growth rate of 6% to 8% [7][19] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company executed $370 million in investments during the quarter, with a weighted average initial cash yield of 8% and a strong average gap yield of 10% [5][11] - Same-store rent growth was reported at 1.6%, an increase from 1.4% in the previous quarter, with overall portfolio rent coverage increasing to 3.6 times [6][9] - The percentage of annual base rent (ABR) under one times rent coverage declined by 120 basis points [9] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company ended the quarter with investments in 2,266 properties leased to over 400 tenants, maintaining a weighted average lease term of approximately 14 years [8] - The company sold seven properties for $11.5 million in net proceeds, executed at a 6.6% weighted average cash yield [10] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company continues to focus on middle-market sale-leasebacks with growing operators, highlighting a balanced investment sourcing strategy [5] - The company aims to maintain a well-capitalized balance sheet with low leverage and significant liquidity to support growth and tenant relationships [18] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the investment market and capital markets, noting that the interest rate environment is more stable, contributing to lower cap rates [23][46] - The company anticipates modest cap rate compression in the coming quarters, driven by a stable interest rate environment [7][28] Other Important Information - The company successfully executed a $400 million 10-year unsecured bond offering with a 5.4% coupon, improving its weighted average debt maturity by approximately 18% to 4.5 years [16] - Cash G&A expenses were approximately $6.7 million for the quarter, consistent with the guidance range for the full year [14] Q&A Session Summary Question: Expectations for cap rates going forward - Management indicated that lower cap rates are expected due to a stable interest rate environment and a strong pipeline of sale-leaseback opportunities [23] Question: New industrial assets and future expectations - The company has been investing in industrial outdoor storage sites and expects to continue this trend, focusing on granular, fungible assets [25] Question: Cap rate expectations and guidance - Management confirmed that cap rate assumptions are similar to the previous year, with expectations for a modest downtick [35] Question: Credit loss assumptions for 2026 - Management stated that credit loss assumptions for 2026 are consistent with previous years, based on a deep dive into the portfolio [74] Question: Update on tenant credit watch list - The watch list currently sits at 1.2 times coverage, down 40 basis points quarter over quarter [68] Question: Differences in yields between retail and industrial properties - Management noted that there is no significant differentiation in cap rates across property types, with expectations for compression across the entire opportunity set [85]